Today, there is a great need for video security systems. Video security systems reduce and deter crime, increase public safety and aid police investigations. Given these benefits, video security systems are used widely. In a typical set up, video cameras are located around an area, such as at each corner of a room in a museum. The cameras connect into a closed circuit television network that transmits the captured image data to television monitors at a security station. At the station, an operator monitors the different scenes and watches for inappropriate activity. Often the operator can direct the cameras to scan across the area or to zoom in on a specific area of the scene. Even more helpful are security systems capable of providing 180- or 360 degree situational awareness through a panoramic (i.e., large-angle) view of a scene. Situational awareness involves perceiving critical factors in the environment or scene. A video security system capable of providing situational awareness may be used in battlefield settings, areas of high crime, or in other locations where surveillance is useful.
One particularly effective camera for use in security systems is the camera described in US patent application 2009-0147071A1. That application discloses a multi element video camera that can capture a wide field of view as well as zoom into sections of the scene. Another digital security camera is the WV-NM100 manufactured and sold by the Panasonic Digital Communications & Security Company, a division of Matsushita Electric. This digital camera provides a pan-tilt-zoom digital camera that connects into a local area network to deliver a digital video stream to a computer display.
As digital cameras enter the market, more are replacing conventional analog cameras, with digital cameras. Although these systems can work well, there remains a need for digital camera systems that provide digital technologies that increase and improve security, rather than just replace existing analog technologies.